1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to medicinal compositions and more particularly herbal medicinal compositions.
2. Brief Description of Prior Developments
The use of plant extracts and derivatives of plants for healing and prevention purposes has been described extensively in traditional and folk medicine literature. Over the centuries, plants have served as a major source of medicines for treating and prevention of diseases of mankind. Although recently the ability for synthesis and design of new medicines has provided new pathways for the development of therapeutic drugs, drug medicines derived from plants (phytomedicines) still have a very solid position in drugs used today. Phytomedicines are used in traditional and folk medicines by over 80 percent of the population in developing countries. In the United States, a $12 billion market has developed for plant-derived medications, some of which are part of the established medical community and some of which are part of a community referred to as folk medicine.
For centuries, extracts and derivatives of specific plants or mixtures thereof have been used for treatment of illnesses. Many of these extracts or derivatives have been documented as having clinical effectiveness in treating illnesses. Chinese medical arts rely heavily on compositions prepared and specially administered from among a relatively large selection of raw and processed herbal materials. The following are examples of such materials and applications related to human health, especially related to conditions of the skin.
The following Chinese herbal formulas are referenced from the book, Chinese Herbal Medicine Made Easy, Thomas Richard Joiner, Hunter House Publishers, Alameda, Calif., 2001.
See Chuang Zi Tang (Cnidium Decoction), page 350. This topical herbal formula contains among other herbs the Cnidium Fruit seed and the mineral Alum and is used to stop itching, clear infection and is useful for trichomoniasis vaginitis.
Chuan Shan Jia Qu Shi Quing Du Wan, page 39. This patent acne medicine relieves itching and reduces inflammation, sores, carbuncles, dermatitis, acne sores and hives.
Xiao Feng Tang, page 232, 310. This herbal formula contains the herbs Schizonepta, fang feng and licorice root ft cleans infection from the body and relieves skin lesions all over the body that are caused by eczema, dermatitis and psoriasis. This formula can be used topically as a soothing bath for the skin or taken internally as a decoction.
Sheng Ma Xiao Du Yin, pages 47, 48. This formula is used to treat symptoms of Aids, including Kaposi's sarcoma, and ulcerations that will not heal.
The following Chinese Herbal formula is referenced from the book, Chinese Herb Medicine and Therapy, Hong-yen Hsu and William G. Peacher, Keats Publishing, New Canaan, Conn., 1982.
Ching Shang Fang Feng Tang, page 96. This herbal mixture, known in China as the Siler Combination for the Skin, is a classic Chinese treatment for acne, eczema, rosacea and various skin problems. It can be taken as a tea and also used as a face tonic, applied twice a day to affected areas. This formula is made from angelica, chih-ko, cnidium, coptis, forsythia, gardenia, licorice, mentha, platycodon, schizonepeta, scute, siler, coix seeds and alum.
The present invention also comprises a selection of herbal materials with curative effects formulated and combined into an emulsion or gel for application to skin ulcerations and other skin conditions to accomplish skin regeneration and healing.
As the United States population ages, primary care physicians are likely to see increasing numbers of patients with leg ulcers. An estimated 2 million workdays are lost each year in the United States because of leg ulcers only and the medical costs of treating these nonhealing wounds can be enormous.
The prevalence of pressure ulcers (pressure sores) of the lower body in the elderly has been estimated to be between 3-11%. The morbidity and mortality associated with pressure ulcers is significant. The death rate in those patients with pressure ulcers maybe fourfold greater than in those without pressure ulcers. In addition, septic, elderly patients with pressure ulcers have a hospital mortality rate in excess of 50%. Theoretically, pressure ulcers are preventable. However, even with the best care, pressure ulcers may still occur. When they occur, treatment of pressure ulcers can be expensive. This cost includes intensive nursing care as well as adjunctive therapies such as antipressure devices, protective dressings, and skin treatments.
Leg ulcers, which usually occur below the knee, can be caused by many factors, but most are due to venous disease, arterial insufficiency, or neuropathy, alone or in combination. Diabetes is an especially important underlying condition.
Of all lower amity amputations performed annually in the United States (usually because of skin ulcers), 45% to 70% are in patients with diabetes. More than 80% of diabetic patients with foot ulcers have neuropathy, and early detection of the condition, and of angiopathy, is essential in preventing and possibly reversing the accelerated development of complications in these patients.
Some therapies for chronic leg ulcers, such as surgical debridement and split-thickness skin grafting, have been used for many years and still have a role in management. Several new methods including multiplayer compression-bandage systems, topical recombinant human platelet-derived growth factor, and human skin equivalent for use in grafting are available which may aid in wound healing however, many of these therapies are expensive and cost prohibitive for many patients.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an effective and low cost method for healing pressure ulcers and also preventing late-stage ulcer progression.